第95章

Imayalsoadd，thatitappearsbysomepapersinmypossession，thattheofficersorCountryKeepersontheborder，wereaccustomedtotormenttheirprisonersbybindingthemtotheironbarsoftheirchimneys，toextortconfession。

NOTETOCHAPTERXXXI

NoteF——Ulrica’sDeathsong。

Itwillreadilyoccurtotheantiquary，thattheseversesareintendedtoimitatetheantiquepoetryoftheScalds——theminstrelsoftheoldScandinavians——therace，astheLaureatesohappilytermsthem，``Sterntoinflict，andstubborntoendure，Whosmiledindeath。’’

ThepoetryoftheAnglo-Saxons，aftertheircivilisationandconversion，wasofadifferentandsoftercharacter；butinthecircumstancesofUlrica，shemaybenotunnaturallysupposedtoreturntothewildstrainswhichanimatedherforefathersduringthetimeofPaganismanduntamedferocity。

NOTETOCHAPTERXXXII

NoteG——RichardCur-de-Lion。

TheinterchangeofacuffwiththejollypriestisnotentirelyoutofcharacterwithRichardI。，ifromancesreadhimaright。

IntheverycuriousromanceonthesubjectofhisadventuresintheHolyLand，andhisreturnfromthence，itisrecordedhowheexchangedapugilisticfavourofthisnature，whileaprisonerinGermany。Hisopponentwasthesonofhisprincipalwarder，andwassoimprudentastogivethechallengetothisbarterofbuffets。TheKingstoodforthlikeatrueman，andreceivedablowwhichstaggeredhim。Inrequital，havingpreviouslywaxedhishand，apracticeunknown，Ibelieve，tothegentlemenofthemodernfancy，hereturnedtheboxontheearwithsuchinterestastokillhisantagonistonthespot——_See，inEllis’sSpecimensofEnglishRomance，thatofCur-de-Lion_。

NOTETOCHAPTERXXXIII

NoteH——Hedge-Priests。

Itiscurioustoobserve，thatineverystateofsociety，somesortofghostlyconsolationisprovidedforthemembersofthecommunity，thoughassembledforpurposesdiametricallyoppositetoreligion。AgangofbeggarshavetheirPatrico，andthebandittioftheApennineshaveamongthempersonsactingasmonksandpriests，bywhomtheyareconfessed，andwhoperformmassbeforethem。Unquestionably，suchreverendpersons，insuchasociety，mustaccommodatetheirmannersandtheirmoralstothecommunityinwhichtheylive；andiftheycanoccasionallyobtainadegreeofreverencefortheirsupposedspiritualgifts，are，onmostoccasions，loadedwithunmercifulridicule，aspossessingacharacterinconsistentwithallaroundthem。

HencethefightingparsonintheoldplayofSirJohnOldcastle，andthefamousfriarofRobinHood’sband。Norweresuchcharactersideal。ThereexistsamonitionoftheBishopofDurhamagainstirregularchurchmenofthisclass，whoassociatedthemselveswithBorderrobbers，anddesecratedtheholiestofficesofthepriestlyfunction，bycelebratingthemforthebenefitofthieves，robbers，andmurderers，amongstruinsandincavernsoftheearth，withoutregardtocanonicalform，andwithtornanddirtyattire，andmaimedrites，altogetherimproperfortheoccasion。

NOTETOCHAPTERXLI。

NoteI——CastleofConingsburgh。

WhenIlastsawthisinterestingruinofancientdays，oneoftheveryfewremainingexamplesofSaxonfortification，I

wasstronglyimpressedwiththedesireoftracingoutasortoftheoryonthesubject，which，fromsomerecentacquaintancewiththearchitectureoftheancientScandinavians，seemedtomepeculiarlyinteresting。Iwas，however，obligedbycircumstancestoproceedonmyjourney，withoutleisuretotakemorethanatransientviewofConingsburgh。Yettheideadwellssostronglyinmymind，thatIfeelconsiderablytemptedtowriteapageortwoindetailingatleasttheoutlineofmyhypothesis，leavingbetterantiquariestocorrectorrefuteconclusionswhichareperhapstoohastilydrawn。

ThosewhohavevisitedtheZetlandIslands，arefamiliarwiththedescriptionofcastlescalledbytheinhabitantsBurghs；andbytheHighlanders——fortheyarealsotobefoundbothintheWesternIslesandonthemainland——Duns。PennanthasengravedaviewofthefamousDun-DornadillainGlenelg；andtherearemanyothers，allofthembuiltafterapeculiarmodeofarchitecture，whicharguesapeopleinthemostprimitivestateofsociety。

ThemostperfectspecimenisthatupontheislandofMousa，neartothemainlandofZetland，whichisprobablyinthesamestateaswheninhabited。

Itisasingleroundtower，thewallcurvinginslightly，andthenturningoutwardagainintheformofadice-box，sothatthedefendersonthetopmightthebetterprotectthebase。

Itisformedofroughstones，selectedwithcare，andlaidincoursesorcircles，withmuchcompact